What If?
by Cosmiicao
Summary: Five days into the 74th annual Hunger Games, Seneca Crane meets an untimely death. After losing the Head Gamemaker, President Snow has no choice but to appoint Plutarach Heavansbee to the job. On the thirteenth day of the Games, a certain feast takes an unexpected turn of events. Five of six tributes are rescued from the arena, and the rebels plan is put into action.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One - The Feast 

Clove is dangling a foot off the ground, imprisoned in Thresh's arms. I let out a gasp, seeing him like that, towering over me, holding Clove like a rag doll. "What you do to that little girl? You kill her" he roars.

"No! No I-" Clove doesn't have time to finish her sentence. Thresh slams her against the Cornucopia. Her screams of pain ring out through the arena, I can hear Cato calling her name, but he's too far away to help. The pain is evident in his voice, and for one second, I forget where we are, what we've been sent to do. For one second, I want to help that poor, small girl that's being so brutally murdered. Her blood splashes onto the ground and I look away, silently hoping that Prim doesn't have see this.

That's when I see it, the night stars, the moon, the sun, the sky, all crashing down towards us. "Thresh" I screamed, before I could stop myself "get under the Cornucopia".

His confused laughter at my utterly ridiculous statement is cut short, when he too looks up. "The forcefield is failing" he shouts.

In my moment of panic, I dive under the safety of the Cornucopia just a second too late. The last thing I saw, was the entire arena going up in flames, with six teenagers still trapped inside it.

The heat radiating from the metal Cornucopia is unbearable. I don't know how much time had passed, but the fire had only gotten worse. Is this one of the Gamemakers tricks? For some reason, I don't think it is. Surely, they wouldn't kill off six tributes in one fire. I muster up all the strength I have left in me to turn my head. There's no sign of Thresh or Clove. I look up just in time to see a hovercraft materialising above me. I'm hardly dead yet, that I'm sure of, and I haven't heard a cannon. A loud voice rings through the arena, but it isn't Cladius Templesmith.

"And so ends the 74th Hunger Games. The odds are _never_ in our favour".

It was said in a happy, sing-song Capitol accent, almost mockingly. It was the voice of my mentor. Haymitch Abernathy.

 **A/N**

 **I hope you liked it :D**

 **I'm sad that I couldn't have had Rue here, but she had died before the feast and it wouldn't have really worked out otherwise.**

 **Please review and tell me what you think, I plan to update it soon if enough people like it!**

 **~Cosmiicao**


	2. Chapter 2

What If

Chapter Two - The Plan

I lie still in the silence. It's so peaceful. So perfect. It's takes me a while to come to recognise the stabbing pain in my left arm. Instinctively, I turn to lean on my right. I begin to wish I didn't because the strong light coming from the window causes me to open my eyes. I'm lying in what seems to be a hospital bed in a strange room. I take a glance out the window, carefully adjusting my head so I can just barely see. We're moving. Flying.

Suddenly it all comes back to me, the arena, the sky, or as Thresh called it, the "forcefield" and the fire. I can vaguely remember the hovercraft coming towards me, and someone's voice, though I can't quite remember who they were. I rack my brain, something tells me that whatever that person said was important. But I can't remember who said it, let alone what this "important" message was.

"Up already sweetheart" comes the familiar drawl of my mentor, Haymitch.

I almost jump out of my bed, it looks like he's been here the entire time, I just never noticed him. "Yes" I manage to croak. My throat aches and it's hard to swallow. He seems to notice my discomfort because he hands me a glass of water. I gulp down it graciously.

"I suppose you're wondering why we are here" he says as he turns to face me. I manage to nod my head in return, speaking hurts but I begin to notice that moving hurts even more.

"Well" he says, breaking the silence "I should have guessed they wouldn't have told you of The Plan." He must have seen the confused look on my face because he continues. "There was a plan to get the tributes out of the arena, after Plutarach Heavansbee was appointed head Gamemaker, he made sure of the feast and used sponsor gifts to tell Rue, Thresh, Keevah and some others."

For some reason, this makes me mad. All this time, he knew. All this time and he couldn't have been bothered to tell me. "Why not me" I say with as much venom in my voice as I can in my current state.

"Because _sweetheart_ , no offence but we didn't expect you to get this far"

I try to hide the hurt that I feel. Tears threaten to fall but I hold them back, because I know what he says is true. Who would expect a girl from district twelve to make it past the bloodbath. Let alone to the final six.

He must have known how I felt because he says, more softly than before "Most of the tributes that were told before or during the games died. Keevah and Thresh are the only two we managed to save, I didn't want to give you a false hope. I didn't think it would be fair."

"Who's Keevah" I say, more to myself than to him.

He answers anyway. "The girl from District Five. I believe you nick-named her Foxface." He chuckles, clearly he finds my nick-names amusing.

"Who did we save" I ask tiredly, as I let out a yawn.

"Mostly everyone" he says. I can tell that he's keeping something from me. But I'm too tired to ask.

He stands up and begins to wheel my bed from the room. He ignores my questioning looks as he says "We're about to land, I'll move you back to the main hospital"

Calmer, after the latest reassurance, I find myself drifting back to sleep.

 **Some Time Later**

I wake up to the constant beeping of what sounds like a peculiar machine. I prop myself up in my elbows, to find that I'm feeling much better. The pain from moving has numbed considerably and I start to wonder how much time has passed.

"Beep. Beep. Beep." The machine gets louder.

I turn my head, slowly as to not further injure my still aching muscles. I'm in a hospital. The strange noise seems to be coming from the bed beside me.

I'm alive. These facts, as basic as they might be, they calm me, and I can tell myself that at least I know some things about my current situation.

In spite of my sore neck, I find myself peering at the source of the noise. There are other sounds too, all coming from the same place. But none quite as loud. There are curtains drawn around the bed and I can only guess that there are people crowded around it too.

"It's been three days, and she still won't wake"

Two more things that I know, it's been around three days since I left the arena, and the person lying on the hospital bed, quite possibly dying, is a she.

"Beep. Beep. Beep." The machine is now unbearably loud. So are the voices. They sound... Happy. The beeps, as obnoxious as they are, must be a good news.

"BEEP. BEEP. BEEP"

I give a startled cry and jump from my bed. I can see the nurses looking at me as I leave, but none of them try to stop me. I dart around corners and run up many flights of stairs. The fact that I'm not familiar with this area only seems to frighten me more, driving me further and further away from the noise and safety of the hospital. I reach what seems to be the top floor of this underground "area" before I finally slow to a stop.

That's when I see him. Sobbing. The boy I once knew to be a ruthless, merciless killing machine. Cato is leaning against the wall with tears streaming down his face. For once he looks defeated.

And suddenly I know who's lying in that hospital bed. The one person Cato seems to care for. Lying, near death in that hospital bed.

Is Clove.

 **A/N**

 **So I've pretty much decided that this is all going to be in Katniss' POV. But if this story is somehow successful, and if people are willing to read it; I might make another story, a series of one shots in some of the other characters POV's.**

 **Other than that, how often should I update this story? Say for instance, on a weekly basis, or later/sooner than that?**

 **Leave a review telling me what you think. I've got a plan on where this story will go but please if you have any ideas then do tell me! It really does help!**

 ** _~Cosmiicao_**


	3. Chapter 3

What If

Chapter Three - Five of Six

Cato turns to look at me, not bothering to hide the tears that are streaming down his face. "I heard them, you know. I heard them say it" he says.

"What?" I say, not having the slightest idea what he's talking about.

"Clove… They don't think she's going to get better" he whispers in reply.

I sit down beside him, no longer afraid of what had seemed to be the vicious boy from the Hunger Games.

"I think she'll be just fine." My words of reassurance only puzzle him, so I continue. "I heard them down at the hospital. I couldn't see, but I could hear them speaking. They sounded happy…"

"They have no reason not to be, they don't even know her." he counters.

I shake my head, he seems determined not to be happy.

Upon seeing my reaction he adds "I know better than to be 'optimistic'. If I expect the worst then I'll never be disappointed."

So this is how it works in District Two… It doesn't seem like very nice environment to live in. I always had thought we were the unlucky ones. Lost, forgotten District Twelve where people are starving to death and dying of illness left and right. I think of Rue's district. District Eleven. I think of how they shot and killed a simple minded boy after he unwittingly took a pair of night-vision glasses.

"Did people die a lot in your District" I ask. It seems like a rather morbid thing to say, but honestly, I'm intrigued. We never get to hear much about the other districts and we never are told anything of their living conditions.

"Like you mean, shot by the Peacekeepers?" he asks.

I nod and notice that he seems much happier with this change of subject, even though it's not exactly one of the most pleasant things to converse about.

"Not often, the Peacekeepers come from our districts. But if the Academy isn't pleased with your training, they can publicly whip you."

I know what he means by this, of course. Although it technically isn't legally allowed, handpicked tributes from Districts One, Two and occasionally Four are trained in special Academies until they are eighteen years of age. They will then volunteer, and usually win they the Hunger Games. Though training for the Hunger Games has long since been something the Capitol has been against, because of their favouritism towards the career Districts, they turn a blind eye towards the pre-games training and insist they are trained for general combat, not the Games themselves.

"Did they ever whip you…?"

"No, no not me. They did to Clove though… It was horrible." He turns away, in an obvious attempt to hide a fresh set of tears.

"You should go see her you know" I say. It feels as if I'm stating the obvious, which of course, I am. But I get the feeling he won't go unless somebody suggests it first.

He nods in agreement but he still doesn't budge. So I stand up and begin to walk, carefully retracing my steps until we both arrive at the hospital.

The Head Nurse tries to stop us coming in, but we walk right past her. It's clear to see where Clove is. There is only one bed with curtains pulled around it. I take a look around as I walk, slowly and quietly as not to wake any of the still sleeping patients. I can see Thresh and Foxface both lying in hospital beds as well as other people whom I don't recognise. There are more nurses huddled just outside the curtains of Cloves bed too, whispering in conversation. They look at us as we walk past, but make no attempt to stop us. Maybe they recognise us, or maybe they know it would be no use trying anyway. Something tells me, maybe by the look on their faces, that it's a bit of both.

"Do we just… Walk in?" Cato asks.

I don't reply, but I gesture for him to walk ahead of me. He understands, I think we both know, if by some miracle she's awake. It might startle her to see someone that, as far as she knows, is out to kill her.

Cato reaches out and tentatively pushes the thin, papery curtains aside. We are greeted with the sight of Clove sitting up, alive and well, reading a book, with an almost bored expression on her face. The 'bored expression' is almost immediately replaced with a big smile when she sees Cato. For a minute, I'm almost jealous. It's clear to everybody that they really do care for each other, maybe I would go as far as calling it love. I just wonder how long it will take for them to realise… I stand awkwardly by the edge of the curtain as they talk, neither of them seem to have noticed I am here.

"Maybe it's best if you leave them be, _sweetheart_ "

I don't have to turn around to see who said it, but I laugh in relief of finally being able to talk to somebody who isn't almost a complete stranger to me. "All right Haymitch. I know" I say, almost sarcastically.

"Those two have some catching up to do" he says.

"Where's Peeta" I ask, because I hasn't seen him in the hospital.

His face falls, his lighthearted laughter being cut short.

"Sweetheart" he says it softly, as if speaking to a wounded animal. "Peeta's in the Capitol"

 **A/N**

 **Thank you to anybody that left a review! I really do appreciate it, and the feedback I've gotten so far has been lovely! Feel free to tell me any ways you think I could improve this story, because there's still a lot of chapters left to go!**

 **I've decided to update at least twice a week, if I can. I genuinely enjoy writing this, so I don't think we'll have any update shortages.**

 **To any of you that thought I would kill off Clove - I couldn't have done that!**

 **Oh and - should I include any of the past victors? AKA tributes from the seventy-fifth Hunger Games. I already have plans for one of them to appear, but it would be nice to have a little more of them. Can anybody make a recommendation of who I should include? Such as, Finnick, Johanna, Enobaria or anybody? I can't guarantee that everyone will be included, but if someone if suggested enough time, I will make a real effort to put them in one or more chapters later on.**

 **Finally, sorry for a long authors note but - Merry Christmas to all that celebrate it!**


	4. Chapter 4

What If

Chapter Four - Peeta and Primroses

 _"_ _Sweetheart, Peeta's in the Capital"_

I stood there until the impact of the words hit me. Peeta is in Capitol. He's most likely dead by now. Dead or being tortured for information about a plan he has never heard of. The boy with the bread, the boy who had saved me from Cato. Gone.

"It's okay sweetheart, it's going to be okay"

I can hear the strain in Haymitch's voice. He too had known Peeta, and fought to keep him alive in the arena by gathering sponsors and helping us train. If I think about it that way, maybe I owe Haymitch more than I think. This is no time to thank him though, speaking to him will only remind me of Peeta's absence.

I walk slowly out of the hospital, taking time to stop and look around me. I still have no idea where we all are. But, I guess it's my home now. The Capitol would hardly let five tribute escapees return to their districts…

I come across what seems to be the main hall. Men and woman walking hurriedly around the room, talking in loud voices. They're all wearing military gear and some seem to have burns on their arms and legs in varying degrees of severity. I walk quietly through the crowd, ducking my head in attempt to escape, unnoticed. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch sight of a young girl. Her hair is blond and tied back in two plaits. Her light clothes are a contrast to the black and camouflage gear of everyone around me and her shirt is untucked at the back. Like the tail of a little duck.

"Prim!" I shout.

She turns in my direction, a joyful smile replaces her confused expression. Despite the tears on her face, she shouts -

"Katniss, you're safe!"

I rush towards her, pushing people out of my way as I go.

"Why aren't you at home" I ask.

"Twelve isn't safe anymore, Katniss. We had to leave." her voice trembles, and I can tell that she is holding back tears. But she continues "They dropped bombs, you see. First in Two, then Five, then Eleven. By the time we realised what they were doing, it was too late."

I shake my head, not wanting to hear any more. I can see the tears in her eyes now, but she is so strong, so brave, and she doesn't stop talking.

"The bombs fell, and we ran. They left the district in touch, but we knew it still wasn't safe. We knew that the bombs were something to do with the games. Mum, me, Gale and all his family ran. We ran far, far away until we thought nobody could ever find us. But we were wrong."

She pauses for a minute and lets out a sob. I wonder how she can tell me all this, relive what seems to be her worst nightmare.

"When the hovercraft came, we thought it was the Capitol. Gale handed us some berries and told us to eat them if they tortured us. Nightlock, he called them. But when the people came down to us, they weren't from the Capitol. They were from here… Thirteen."

"Thirteen" I ask, unsure of what she means.

"District Thirteen. We're here now. It's our new home." Her voice breaks on the last sentence and she falls into my arms in a fresh wave of tears.

We stay here, like this, until the room empties. Silent, but happy that we're finally reunited. In a world where everything seems to be falling apart, I have learned to savour these moments. We stay here, in the empty hall, until someone calls -

"Prim, are you there. We have to go to the hospital to get cleaned up." I recognise the voice, as my mothers.

Prim beckons for me to follow her as she leaves, but I don't. I don't think I can stand to talk to my mother right now, not after all that's happened.

"Katniss, are you coming?" Prim calls as she reaches the door.

"I- I just need a minute." I shout back to her.

She seems to understand because she gives me a sad smile and leaves without another word. As I watch her go, I think to myself. How lucky are we to have survived…

 **A/N**

 **Sorry if I didn't update in a while, I had writers block! But I have the next few chapters planned out and I'm hoping that updates should be faster over the next few weeks/days!**

 **Two people have suggested Finnick and Annie to be included, and one Enobaria. So I will make sure to add them in!**

 **If anyone wants them (or any other Hunger Games character) to appear just let me know!**

 **Don't forget to leave a review, I know that there are lots of things I can improve, but it would really help it somebody gave suggestions and told me what they thought so far.**

 **Thanks to anybody who has followed, favourited or reviewed so far, you've all been lovely! It really gives me motivation to write. Oh and, HungerGamesUltimateFangirl - sorry about your iPad *hugs***

 **~Cosmiicao**


	5. Chapter 5

What If

Chapter Five - Training

I carefully follow Clove's instructions as I make my way back to the target, the knife I pick up is lighter and easier to carry than the one I had been practising with before. Light from the open window reflects on the shiny silver blade and I shudder, just another thing to remind me of the arena. I throw all thoughts of the Games out of my head as I hurl the knife at the target, and I watch as if in slow motion, it hits. I turn around with a wide smile plastered on my face, it hadn't hit dead centre, but it was close!

"Good job!" calls Clove, I can't tell wether or not she's being sarcastic, so I just roll my eyes.

I sit myself down on a nearby bench and I take a sip from my water bottle. I take a second to look at what everyone else is doing, I spot Thresh painting his dark skin to resemble a tree, something I remember Peeta showing me…

Training - an odd thing for a former tribute to be doing. But unlike before the games, we're doing this by choice. It started when Clove asked me to teach her archery. I had never asked why at the time, but I agreed, it was something for me to do. Cato used to train too, but only because Clove was there. He hasn't left her side ever since she almost died at the arena. Soon enough, Thresh started to turn up. For the first time today, Keevah has joined us.

I had considered asking Gale to join our training sessions, but I ultimately decided against it. He would think it's barbaric that I am training with weapons and survival skills, just like I did for the Capitol, but this is different. Besides, these people, these 'tributes' know what I've gone through. They know the horrors of the games and the terrible nightmares that come after. They know why we need to train, we do it to keep busy, to spend time that otherwise could be spent pondering decisions we made, things we could have done to save ourselves, and other people. Thinking of how I killed Glimmer, Marvel and the girl from four. I killed a girl and I don't even know her name…

I'm pulled from my thoughts when I hear a voice. "Hey."

I whirl around only to find myself face to face with Keevah, the girl from Five.

"Sorry, did I startle you?" she questions.

"I didn't see you there." I say with a nervous laugh. She's as sly as a Fox, no wonder I nicknamed her Foxface. She nods as if she understands, and I think she does. After all, she did use stealth as her weapon in the Games, she must have a knack of sneaking around unnoticed.

"Can you teach me to shoot?" She asks. Her voice is quiet, but she's not shy, only mysterious.

I nod and beckon for her to follow me towards the archery station. We don't talk as she carefully analyses the angle of my arm as I aim towards the target, but the silence isn't awkward. It's calm, as if there is nothing that needs to be said. I like Keevah, she reminds me of Gale. She isn't loud like Cato, nor is she sullen and hostile like Thresh. Not to say that I dislike Cato or Thresh, despite my doubts, all the other tributes seem nice enough. Although I wouldn't call them my 'friends' just yet.

After I've shot about every target I can see, she finally speaks."I think I'll try shoot now" Keevah tells me hesitantly, as if unsure wether she should watch me try a few more times before she makes her first attempt.

"Sure, go ahead" I say in relief. I've been shooting for a good thirty minutes now, nonstop, target after target. And for every shot, she's watched me, though I'm not sure what she's looking for.

I begin to tell her how to take aim but she stops me.

"I think I've got this." she announces with a tone of finality in her voice.

I shrug and take a step back. Maybe it's best if I see her shoot first, before I actually begin to teach her.

She steps onto the small red circle on the ground, indicating the spot in which you should shoot from. I watch her closely as she stares at the target, almost as if she's attempting to work out a difficult Math problem. Then finally she takes her aim, and I notice how silent the room is. I glance around and see everyone staring at Keevah, and I realise this is the first time any of us have seen her use a weapon. She lets the arrow fly. It hits dead centre. Thresh, Cato, Clove and I burst into applause. But this time, there is no hint of sarcasm in any of our voices as we congratulate her.

"That was great Keevah!" I hear someone shout, probably Thresh.

Her face turns red at the sudden attention, but she looks pleased. Pleased, but not surprised. After everyone has gone back to their training, I ask her to shoot again, and again. Every single time she looks at the target, with that calculating expression on her face, and every single time. She hits it right in the centre.

I knew it then, she wasn't just a naturally skilled archer, she carefully calculated where the arrow would land each time, and she was never wrong. That on it's own beats any shot I've ever made, maybe, had we been back in the games… I would have been clever enough to take her as an ally. I quickly push this thought from my head as I realise what has happened to all my other allies.

The bell sounds for lunch time, and it rings throughout the whole of thirteen. We drop our weapons and head to the dining room, eagerly anticipating food.

"Training is hard!" Clove groans, but she has a smile on her face.

For the first time, we all sit down and eat together.

 **A/N**

 **Sooo, this isn't my best chapter. It's really hard to write someone like Foxface when you know so little about them… Anyway, I tried.**

 **Finnick, Enobaria and Annie will all appear in future chapters, because people have suggested them.**

 **Who do you guys want to see most in the story, Clove, Cato, Foxface or Thresh. I'll be adding in more of Gale, Haymitch and Prim in the next few chapters too.**

 **If you would like to leave a review it would be much appreciated! I'll get Peeta to bake you cookies if you do!**


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